Chapter 29
2066 Words
“Mama! Look, it's Ashta!” called Destiny.
The small child’s eyes lit up the moment she saw Ashta and Roman walking up the driveway. Ashta smiled widely as she saw Riah come outside, and Riah smiled back at her.
“Oh, Ashta. It is wonderful to see you,” she said, as she walked toward them, and her eyes flickered at Roman.
She stared at him for a moment, and then she shook her head.
“Hello,” she said, as she eyed him, suspiciously.
Roman smiled nervously, and Ashta could feel the tension in the air as she looked at Riah.
“Riah, this is...”
“Roman. The prince of Selvempts,” Riah said, as she cut Ashta off.
Ashamed, Roman hung his head, and his smile faded. Gently, Ashta squeezed his hand and he glanced at her. Riah looked down, and she saw that Ashta and his fingers were intertwined.
“Well, I guess we have much to talk about,” she said, as she looked back up at Ashta, and she then looked at Roman apologetically.
“Roman, please forgive me for my hostility. I was not aware that you two had settled your differences after what had happened in the arena,” Riah said, softly.
Suddenly, Roman looked up at her with concern.
“I really didn’t want to hurt her, my stepmother...”
Riah put her hand in the air and Roman trailed off.
“If Ashta trusts you, then so shall I until you give me a reason not to.”
Respectfully, Roman nodded, and Riah turned to Ashta with a smile.
“Your things are right where you left them,” she said, and Ashta smiled.
At that moment, Ashta let go of Roman’s hand and she ran into the house. Destiny looked up at Roman slowly and then she looked at her mother confused.
“Mama, why is he so big?” she asked, as she poked his leg with her finger.
Roman and Riah looked down at her and they both chuckled at the child.
“Because little one,” he said, as he crouched down to her level.
He looked into Destiny’s eyes softly and touched her cheek.
“I eat all of my vegetables, and I listen to my parents,” he said in a soothing voice, and Riah couldn’t help but stifle a laugh.
Curiously, Destiny put her hands on Roman’s beard, and she felt the soft short hairs of his face. He stayed still as he let the little girl feel his face, and looked him over as if she were inspecting something. At that moment, her eyes met with his and she smiled at him.
“You are not a bad guy like they show you on the TV,” she whispered, as she brought her face closer to his.
Roman grinned at her and then looked at her thoughtfully.
“How can you be so sure?” he asked.
Suddenly, Destiny gave him a knowing look, and she placed her little hand on his muscular chest.
“Because I can feel it here,” she whispered, and Roman glanced up at Riah, and then back at the little girl.
“Thank you,” he whispered to her, and Destiny nodded and giggled.
“Now pick me up, so I can see the world!” she exclaimed with glistening eyes.
Respectfully, Roman looked up at Riah as if to ask her if it was okay to pick her daughter up, and she nodded as she smiled. Carefully, Roman put his hands under the little girl’s arms, and hoisted her up to his shoulder. She squealed with glee as Roman held onto her. At that moment, Destiny looked down at her mother and grinned.
“We need Ashta to keep him around,” she said happily, and Riah looked up at her daughter in question.
“Why?” she asked, as she made a face at Roman, and he laughed.
“I can see everything from up here!” Destiny shouted, as she threw her arms out.
Riah and Roman laughed as Ashta walked up to them. Ashta looked at Riah, surprised that she and Roman were getting along. Riah shrugged her shoulders and grinned.
“Hey, Ashta?” called Destiny, and Ashta looked up at her.
“Yeah?”
“Can we keep him?” she squealed, as Roman hoisted her higher in the air.
Ashta looked at Riah and shook her head.
“He might be good to have around,” Riah said, as she leaned toward Ashta.
Seemingly, she looked up at Roman and studied him for a moment. She really liked seeing the softer side of him, and she liked spending time with him. Suddenly, Riah bumped Ashta’s shoulder and Ashta blushed.
“We will see, Dest, we will see,” Ashta said with a sigh.
Gently, Roman spun in a final circle and then he set Destiny back on the ground. Destiny bowed her little head to him, and then she looked up at him.
“Thank you, kind sir,” she said politely, and Roman bowed his head to her.
“You are quite welcome, ma’am,” he said, and she giggled, shyly.
Hopelessly, Riah and Ashta looked at each other and sighed in awe. It was the cutest thing they had ever seen.
“Thank you, Riah,” Ashta said, as she hugged her friend, and Riah hugged her back.
“You are welcome. Please, don’t be a stranger.”
Ashta nodded to her.
“I won’t.”
Evidently, Ashta had on her grandfather’s sword and her camping pack on her back. Shocked, Roman stared at the handle of the sword in disbelief. If he had any doubts about her being the missing princess before, the handle of the sword had confirmed all of them in that second. She was the missing princess. At that moment, Roman hit his knees in front of Ashta.
Startled, Destiny grabbed onto her mother and looked up at her with wide confused eyes. Alarmed, Ashta and Riah exchanged glances and then they looked down at the man kneeling on the ground.
“Are you alright?” Riah asked, confused.
Roman bowed his head to Ashta and nodded. He then shook his head as if to shake off something in his mind, and then he rose to his feet.
“Yeah, sorry. Just felt a little light headed is all,” he mumbled, and Ashta looked at him with concern as she rubbed his arm.
“Okay, let’s get you home,” she said, and he only nodded.
Come on! Snap out of it! he scolded himself, as he straightened.
“Thanks again. I will come back and visit really soon,” said Ashta, as she looked at Riah gratefully.
“Okay. We will talk then,” said Riah, as she smiled, and Ashta nodded, as she patted Destiny on the head.
“Take care of your mom,” she said, and Destiny nodded.
Riah waved as Ashta and Roman made their way back down the driveway and headed back to Nemiph.
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“Tonight’s ceremony will be grand, and maybe the princess will announce to us who this man is that she has been running off with,” said Gale, as he looked out of the throne room window, and his brother looked at him with care.
“Yes, I was thinking the same thing. I tried to have a guard follow them, but one of them possesses the ability to superspeed, so my attempts have failed,” stated Liam, as he shook his head, and Gale sighed a heavy sigh.
“It’s not your fault. We have to trust Ashta and be patient.”
Liam only nodded. Suddenly, they heard footsteps and turned around. Damian and Xavier walked into the room.
“Sir,” said Damian, as he and Xavier halted and stood straight.
“Yes?” asked Gale, as he looked at his two guards.
“We have come to inform you that princess Ashta has yet to return, and the sun will be setting soon.”
Liam and Gale exchanged looks and then Liam put his hands up.
“There is no need to panic. I am sure she will be back soon. Maybe you two could do a perimeter sweep of the grounds. It will keep you busy for a while,” Laim suggested, and Gale nodded in agreement.
“Yes, sir,” stated Damian, as he and Xavier bowed, and then they left the room.
“I think that one of your guards fancies our niece more than we thought,” Liam said quietly, and Gale looked at him and nodded. For, he too, thought the same thing.
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Happily, Ashta and Roman were making their way through the forest, when suddenly, Roman grabbed her gently and pushed her against the trunk of a thick tree. She stared at him with wide confused eyes, and he searched her eyes.
“So, you truly are the missing princess,” he stated in a low voice, as he continued to search her eyes.
Confused, Ashta looked back at him. She didn’t understand, she thought that he had figured that part out already. She relaxed a little and looked into his eyes softly.
“Yeah, I thought we established that already,” she said in a soft voice.
He chuckled as he looked down at the ground, and then he looked back up at her.
“What made you question it?” she asked.
“The sword on your back. The legend says that it was the only one made of its kind, and that it disappeared the day that you did,” he explained, and Ashta nodded, as she held his intense gaze.
“The sword confirms everything, confirms that the legends are true. I am sorry I had doubted you. Will you ever forgive me?” he asked, sincerely.
Ashta looked at him for a moment. She had never seen Roman like this, and she was beginning to think that he wasn’t all bad. Even when he had Destiny in his arms, and how gentle he was with her, he told her that he was not a bad guy, just bad parents.
Roman searched her eyes, as he felt stupid about the question that had come to his mind, but he had to hear it from her. He wanted to know that she had chosen to spend time with him, when she could have just turned him away. He was so mean to her when they first met. Roman swallowed hard and looked at her.
“And you would rather come out and spend time with me, than that guard?” he asked, seriously, and she giggled, as she looked over his handsome face.
“I think you already know the answer to that question,” she whispered, as she grinned.
“Say it,” he whispered back.
She smiled and looked into his eyes.
“Yes, Roman, I would rather come spend time with you than Damian,” Ashta said, and his eyes lit up.
Nervously, Roman swallowed hard. He couldn’t help but feel honored as his heart began to melt for her. Seemingly, he could see the truth in her eyes, and without another word, he put his palms to her cheeks and kissed her. Ashta kissed him back, and she could feel them being drawn even more together. His lips were so soft against hers. After a moment, he laid his forehead against hers, and Ashta licked her lips as she closed her eyes.
“I know you may not understand this, but it is truly an honor that you would choose me to spend your time with me,” Roman said softly, and Ashta giggled.
“Well, isn’t it obvious?” she blurted, and he pulled his head back, as he looked at her softly.
“What?” she asked, and he shook his head.
Ashta took his hand and intertwined their fingers together.
“Come on. The sun will be setting soon, and if I don’t get back to the castle, I might turn into a pumpkin,” she joked, and Roman laughed.
“Well, at least it would go with your hair,” he joked back, and they both laughed, as they made their way to Roman’s house.
- Writer
